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Although the US is a nation of immigrants, the National Football League is still dominated by American-born athletes. Only 5% of participants are foreign-born, and most of them step into the game by attending college in the United States. True international figures are rare, and coaches from abroad are especially rare, which makes James Cook’s journey exceptional.

Cook’s Surprising Path to the NFL

Cook has been in charge of athlete growth at the Cleveland Browns. That’s an achievement in itself, but it’s incredible given he grew up in England, is in his late 20s, and did not played professional sport. Cook first saw the NFL as a 12-year-old while channel-flicking with his father and came across what he called a “strange and amazing” sport. He began participating locally and soon aspired to become the first NFL QB from Europe. He progressed to playing for Team GB, but his plans to attend college in the US were financially prohibitive.

“I was scooping popcorn, wiping seats, making burgers, doing a bit of everything. Whenever the NFL guys wanted me, I would switch my shifts and assist. Being a quarterback, the one thing I had was I could throw. So when they worked out with players, I’d appear all over London and throw the ball to them. I didn’t get paid, but they’d often buy me lunch.”

It was here that he met Durde, who had periods with the Carolina Panthers and Chiefs during his career before he established the IPP program in that year with two-time Super Bowl winner Umenyiora. When Durde became part of the coaching team at the Atlanta Falcons, becoming the first-ever British permanent coach in NFL history, Cook took over the IPP. “I enjoyed a lot of fun with it, working with some really interesting players,” he recalls. “We had Louis Rees-Zammit; Travis Clayton, who was selected by the Bills; Charlie Smyth, the kicker from Ireland who’s now with the Saints. I went to Australia to train younger players from around the Pacific region to introduce them to college football, like what I had hoped to do.”

Transitioning to NFL Coaching

Similar to Durde before him, Cook transitioned from training international athletes to joining the NFL. “Cleveland contacted me unexpectedly,” he says. “They had a hybrid role supporting rookies, optimizing time on the practice field, working closely with physios, the coach and GM. It’s a really active position, which is perfect for me. My background was working with players from abroad who had not played the game. First-year newcomers also have to build habits and routines: how to take care of their body and handle a huge game plan. But also just being available for guys. That’s the same across the board. And I enjoy that.”

Does being an Englishman who did not play in the NFL a disadvantage? “It’s largely a imagined barrier than an real one,” says Cook. “I’ve had a lot of reverse Ted Lasso comments and many players call me ‘bruv’ as they love that. It’s more about monitoring my language. I use ‘garbage can’ not ‘bin’. But we get nervous or under pressure about the similar things and require support in the same ways. If players understand you can assist them, they don’t care where you’re from or what accent. And when people realize that you are invested, all the other stuff fades.”

Advantages of Coming From Outside the US System

Coming from outside the NFL bubble has its upsides. “I addressed in front of the whole squad very early on, and, as we walked out, one of our offensive linemen wanted to talk rugby with me as he loves it. You make those connections and form friendships. Teammates are genuinely curious. NFL buildings are varied than people think. We have staff from various backgrounds, a variety of upbringings. Our mantra at IPP was: ‘Stand out – you are different so lean into it.’ It’s something to celebrate.”

The NFL has been better at producing international supporters than nurturing foreign players. Mailata, a ex- rugby league player from Australia who claimed the championship earlier this year with the Philadelphia Eagles, is among the rare IPP graduates to have risen to the elite level.

Foreign Athletes and Their Paths

International athletes have usually been specialists, brought in from other football codes. Howfield swapped soccer for Watford and Fulham for becoming a placekicker for the Broncos and Jets; Luckhurst graduated from rugby union in England to the Falcons roster. If you aren’t aiming to be a kicker and were not educated in the American system, it’s extremely difficult to advance to the NFL.

Oyelola, a Londoner who played for Chelsea’s academy before discovering the sport at Nottingham University, has made that step. He competed in the CFL for the Blue Bombers before taking his talents to the Jaguars and Steelers.

Pircher’s story is equally unlikely. At over two meters and 23 stone, the Italian was clearly not built for his favoured sports, soccer and handball, so started American football in his teenage years. He impressed while representing clubs in Europe and Germany, as well as the Italy team, and was offered a spot on the IPP in 2021.

A year later, he held the championship trophy as a part of the LA Rams training team. Pircher subsequently had periods on the fringes at the Detroit Lions, Seahawks and Commanders, before he signed with the Vikings at the end of August. He has been well-liked in each team but is yet to see action on the gridiron. Is being a foreigner still a hurdle?

“It isn’t difficult, not an obstacle,” says the 26-year-old. “We have players from all different states, so it doesn’t really matter. At first, they inquire: ‘You speak differently – where are you from?’ But, once we clarify that, we’re teammates. The Minnesota have a really welcoming environment, a excellent squad, a top organization.”

Despite spending the majority of training with his other offensive linemen, Pircher has thrown himself into the team dynamics at his clubs. “Naturally the offensive line is consistently very tight because we are a group and altogether one, but we have mates from all positions. My best friend, Landen Akers – my best man, actually – was a wide receiver at the Rams. The specialist from the Green Bay, Matt Orzech, is a really good friend: we lived together for a while at the LA Rams. QBs, defensive linemen, special teams: we’ve got to be supportive.”

Motivating the Next Generation

Pircher is conscious he represents more than just Italy and Austria. “In my view every nation outside the United States. The better each one of us performs, the more youth who participate in Italy, in Europe, wherever, can realize: ‘Oh it is possible – if I dedicate myself consistently, I can succeed.’ I have a lot of youngsters hitting me up, asking for tips. It’s rewarding to encourage them to experience what I’ve achieved.”

The IPP graduates are welcomed to the US each year to coach the next wave of potential NFL outsiders. “Virtually everyone of us come back